The tinkling of candle ice

It may be warm and sunny here in Yellowknife, but in points north people are still in parkas and the ice is still breaking up.
Today we played the most amazing bit of audio on the radio --the tinkling sound of candle ice. As the ice melts on rivers and lakes across the NWT, it turns into thousands of candle-shaped pieces that make music when they're jostled by the wind or waves. It sounds like a wind chime. This phenom happens only two or three days a year, and our reporter in Inuvik has tried to get this sound for years. He was finally successful.

On a less joyful note, these posters are all over the Frame Lake trail. Of course, I immediately thought of Spetse, the Yorkie who accompanied me to Yellowknife all those years ago. I do wonder sometimes how she survived the cold and ravens. (I occasionally let her out to pee unattended during a party.) I despair for this 7-pound terrior's chances of survival, given the number of foxes I've seen. The last one had a hefty animal in his jaws, the entrails dragging on the ground.

Dogs are very popular in Yellowknife: they come in all shapes and sizes--from toy terriers to huskies. Free bags are stashed in boxes on the trail to encourage owners to clean up after their pets.